Well, I sit here writing this post while I begin the process of packing up my apartment. Eric and I are preparing for our final week here in Louisiana. We will have our last day of work at Metal Shark on Wednesday, and will begin our journeys North first thing on Thursday morning. I have a 6AM flight to Philadelphia, and Eric will be hitting the road shortly thereafter. I can say that while I have loved my time here at Metal Shark and I have grown fond of Louisiana, I am ready to get back home.
Anyway, this week I was moved to a new boat in the rigging department. I spent my week working on another 38 Defiant, this one for the Army Corps of Engineers. Unlike the 38 Defiant for Bangladesh which uses water jets for propulsion, this boat uses standard straight shaft propellers. Though these boats are both 38 Defiants, they are very different boats.
I had a lot of different jobs this week, all of which taught me something new, with only exception. The first job we had was preparing the boat for rigging. This means that all of the exposed aluminum walkway surfaces and the roof must be covered with cardboard to prevent them from getting scratched. This was the only job where I did not really acquire any new skills, but it was a necessary part of the job. I worked on installing cockpit lights, which is trickier than it sounds because if the hole you make for the light is even a fraction too big, you will not be able to screw the lights in. Fortunately, we managed to get all of the lights in without too much difficulty. I helped install a radar unit on the top of the boat, which was a learning experience for all of us because no one on the crew had ever installed that specific kind of radar before. But we got it in with no trouble. I helped install all of the exterior floodlights on the boat as well as the anchor light and tow light. I also installed the loudspeaker on the roof. I cut and helped install all of the insulation for the bulkhead between the engine room and the rest of the boat. I installed the forward bilge pump and float switch underneath the cabin of the boat. I mounted four DC receptacles in the cabin. My final task of the week was to install Deutsch connectors on the wires for the lights inside the cabin, however after completing only one connection I ran out of time and had to clean up.
As you can see, I had a busy week. I was very fortunate to work with another good crew who taught me a lot about their jobs and how to fit out a boat.
On Saturday, Eric, Alex and I went to New Orleans. We figured that we couldn't spend two months in Louisiana without even visiting New Orleans once. We will have a full post about our trip once Eric gets around to dealing with getting the photos off of his camera.
Well, that's about it for now. Other than the New Orleans post, I'm not sure if I will be writing anymore before I leave. I will probably be spending my nights packing up all my worldly possessions for transport back to the Northeast. Hopefully you have all enjoyed reading the blog and I thank you for taking the time to read up on my adventures in Louisiana.
T.J. Brackin
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